Damascus, April 4 -- Ten years of crisis in Syria has left an estimated 11.5 million people living with the risk of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). With swathes of the country turned into minefields, it would be generations before Syria is fully cleared of weapon contamination.
In cities and rural areas across Syria, numerous accidents are reported daily, resulting in deaths and injuries among civilians going about their lives. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has so far collected over 12,000 records of victims of explosive ordnance accidents across the country, of whom 35% were killed and 65% injured. Children make up over 25% of these victims, with most occurring while simply playing. Approximately 50% of the...